Slow Like Honey
by strikers22
Summary: Luffy believed that somewhere someday, he and Torao would eventually meet again. They surely will.


**.**

Friday was Luffy's favorite day among the other six days. When the new week begins, he would always anticipating that one certain day to come –almost unable to wait though he would eventually reaching that day. Friday was the day when the orphanage he lived in handing out extra free food for everyone, thus Luffy love it. .much. Even when the so-called extra was only a carton of strawberry milk, cookies or sandwich, Luffy would accept everything with unhidden joyful grins on his face. However, Luffy is a seven year old boy who's obviously still growing. One extra will never be enough since his tummy keep yearning for more fills. The thing is, he's not the only one who's growing up in that orphanage, and he can't just asking Ace or Sabo for their share. This resulting Luffy have to bear his stomach growling, until the day he found a nameless boy with a book.

The boy was nameless but he wasn't that unfamiliar either. Luffy saw him around once, twice, thrice and maybe more than that he couldn't really recall. Luffy's first conclusion about 'the-boy-with-a-book' –aside from the obvious stereotype that he was probably someone like Sabo, that boy must be way older than him. He was tall, he didn't hanging out with kids like Luffy, but those two things weren't a problem at all. Every Friday, or the Friday where they get sandwich or any kind of bread to be specific, the boy with a book always neglecting his share somewhere, let it remains untouched. Ooh, how rude of him!

One day, right after Luffy finished his extra, he walked over to that older boy; yes, the boy with a book. Munched his final bite before swallowing it, not even bother to wiped crumbs off of his lips. Look, look, he would just keep reading the book until the sky turned orange, and leave his sandwich just like that! Luffy jumped over to his side, didn't care if that other boy side-eyeing him. The little boy have this strong believe, that he could get what he aimed if he asked nicely.

"Hey, can I have this?" the little boy asked innocently, and hopeful. This, somewhat caught the-boy-with-a-book's attention. Either that, or the book he read wasn't as amusing as he thought it would.

"Why should I give it to you?" he frowned before Luffy frowning at him in return.

"Hmm, because I wanted it? You didn't seem to like sandwich anyway, do you? Do you?" Luffy grinned, as wide as his mouth allowed him to be. But the older boy beside him just snorted.

"Nah, there's no such obligatory for me to obey your request," that boy opened his book again.

"So stingy!" Luffy stuck out his tongue, while the other boy chuckles. This little one indeed so much more interesting than the book. He then reached out to ruffles Luffy's dark hair while pulled his attention to him.

"Okay, how about you returning this book to the shelf in the reading room, and come back here to get your sandwich. How's that?" and as soon as the taller boy made himself clear, Luffy's expression turned bright. He nodded quickly.

**.**

Luffy ate his sandwich in a single large bite, the boy with a book didn't understand what's so great about it because he didn't like bread for an unreasonable reason. "I knew it! You're a good guy who shares food!" Luffy said. That older boy leaned his back and stared at Luffy.

"It was nothing. I just don't like bread."

"Thanks a lot anyway -uhm, I didn't know your name yet. But I'm Luffy!"

The boy with a book, even though there was no book with him at that moment, just keep gazing at the seven year old boy in front of him. He wasn't sure whether there would be any point of giving each other's name. But that day, his mind told him that not everything has to do with advantages, so he told Luffy what's his, repeated it four times since this little boy apparently have problem remembering things –but then he gave up teaching him the correct way to pronounce instead, and decided to take whatever the little boy Luffy could grasped.

That one different Friday, Luffy discovered some other conclusions; the boy with a book was a nice guy, he had dark circles under his eyes, he was fourteen years old, and- oh, he has a legit name eventhough it was rather hard to pronounce. 'Tooraaafaaaaalguuuy' or 'Tooorafaaal-something' or 'something-Tooooraaaafaaaal' and Luffy saw him sighed multiple times so he made up his own nickname for him. 'Torao!' it's so much simpler and it's not like Torao opposed Luffy's idea.

Ever since that day, both Ace and Sabo wondering where Luffy is, knowing that the youngest boy among the three were mostly tailing the two elders anywhere. Only with frequent temporary missing on Friday.

**.**

"Hey, Luffy, eat with us, would you?" Ace shifted aside, gave his brother space to sat on. Everyday, aside of doing routines they have in the orphanage, Luffy and his brothers loved to roams around the town and stealing food or everything for fun, this was just another day.

"Really, where are you going to every Friday? Don't tell us you stole someone else's share hmm?" Ace narrowed his eyes and Sabo just laughed.

"Almost so, but nope! I can't tell you guys since it's a secret!"

"Ace, our Luffy apparently just melted that infamous creepy kid Trafalgar Law!" Sabo began his tease.

"You guys know Torao?" Luffy blinked as if Torao was an invisible boy only he could see. Both elder boys turned at the youngest, frowning upon figured out the nick name.

"Torao?"

"His name was sorta hard to remember, now I'm used to call him that."

Ace sighed while Sabo only chuckled again, "Well should have seen this coming anyway, it's Luffy he's dealing with," Sabo said.

"Trafalgar is still creepy, though. One time I witnessed him sliced off a frog mercilessly –well, we did that too, yes, but there's this vibe of him that I couldn't like," Ace rubbed his chin.

"That's a prejudice, Ace. At least I've talked to him few times and he was cool," Sabo added.

"But he's still a nice person! He's giving his bread every day!" Luffy's face was bright. His brother rolled their eyes and Sabo patted the kid's head. Accepted the fact how simple-minded Luffy was. It's not like he against Luffy making friends with Trafalgar anyway.

"Oh, Luffy, I haven't telling you yet that we're going to move out soon to live with Shanks and Makino, aren't I?" Ace said, and the mentioning of the name Shanks plus Makino somehow boosted Luffy's daily good mood. He definitely bombarding Ace with further questions, of why his brother didn't telling him that Shanks was around and invite them to live together.

"It was a letter from the old man instead of direct invitation –though Shanks will picked us up this Sunday. Well, wouldn't that be great anyway, since we all know that finally we're going to live somewhere else other than here or Dadan's?" Sabo fueled up Luffy's excitement, and the little boy was really looking forward for Sunday to come.

**.**

Another Friday, Luffy sat beside Torao while munched his bread, the whole piece in one go. The little boy glanced at him few times; at his eyebags to his neck and his hand, while the older boy apparently has interesting book with him he didn't really bothered with Luffy's nonsense anyway. Luffy then stood up, leaned closer to his side, eyes narrowed to white surface with small texts. How could Torao stands to do such a boring thing like this? The only person Luffy ever saw survived reading thick and boring text books without falling asleep while stay enthusiastic was, by far, Sabo. Sabo once told him that books could bring you into another kind of adventure, but Luffy couldn't grasp how sit still and focusing eyes on to papers counted as adventure.

Torao glanced at Luffy who was already placed his chin on his shoulder, mumbled nothing, but the fourteen years old boy couldn't even feeling disturbed because he's used to it –though if it was other kids, he would definitely smack them off anyway. Somehow, little boy Luffy is an exception.

"Hey, don't you feeling bored to just reading like that all day? Let's just go exploring somewhere Toraoooo~ I haven't introduce you to my brothers aren't I? You guys would surely get along!"

"Nah, I'm fine here," he replied, didn't even raise his head from the book. Luffy pouted. He then positioned his head on top of Torao's lap, right covering on the book. Torao chuckled and put his hand on Luffy's head, ruffled his black and messy hair. Even Torao found this scene was strange himself because first, he disliked brat –Luffy was one. Second, he loved solitude –and here's the kid invading his personal space while Torao himself didn't mind it one bit. But no one could blame him anyway, this brat, Luffy was infamous for his cuteness, innocence and pure heart. Girls and boys could melted over his childish charms, and once in his life in the orphanage, Law though he would be immune from all of those. Frankly, Luffy is irresistible. Sort of.

"Torao, Torao, would you feeling lonely if I'm no longer around on Friday?" Luffy giggled.

"That would be something to celebrate since I could finally read in peace again on Friday," he playfully replied, but Luffy got up briefly and stood on the bench.

"I would be leaving this Sunday afternoon!" Luffy said cheerfully. "And, since we're friends, I would like to see you before my departure! Can I? Can I?"

Luffy latest sentence was a bit surprising at least for the older boy. He was sure himself that he would be the first one to leave between them. He would turn fifteen soon, and he just gained a chance to learn something he's always very passionate about further.

"Answer me Toraoo~~" Luffy whined. "I will never say goodbye to my friend, since I'm looking forward for us to meet somewhere again!"

Torao scoffed, chances are slim since Luffy would most likely living a different life with him anyway.

"Sure, you know where to find me before you go, right?" he smirked. Luffy hugged the older boy, and Torao crossed his fingers behind his back.

**.**

Shanks came as he promised to the boys' old man Garp, and Luffy was ecstatic to see him and Makino again. Garp was originally against Shanks. None of them was even related by blood to that red-haired guy –he was only a man who's happen to be close to Ace's mysterious father, while they know him through Makino because she used to be one of the staff in their orphanage. Everything has already packed while the car was there to carry the brothers to their new home. However, instead of getting in the car immediately, Luffy ran inside to looked for the friend he would like to bid farewell to, only he couldn't found him anywhere. Makino, who had the initiative and asked the staff, figured that Luffy's loner friend, 'Torao' or Trafalgar Law, has took his leave because someone interested with his intelligence and would like to support him for studies. Luffy didn't really understand, but at least, there's no goodbye. He would meet Torao again somewhere, someday.

**.**

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**A/N:**

- Uuh so, this is my first One Piece AU and LawLu fanfic. I know the idea is rather cliche but mewanna write 7 y.o Luffy with 14 y.o Law because cute l0l. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment anything. Yep, including grammatical errors cuz iNeed.

- Also, this is basically Luffy's POV so I adjust everything to his mind or smth like that

- i'm not sure yet of what i would plan for this so the rating might go up. or not l0l.


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